Apparatus for making artificial fuel.



PATENLIED JUNE 18, 1907.

J. J. SHBDLOGK. APPARATUS FOR. MAKING ARTIFICIAL FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1906.

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PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907.

J. J. S HEDLOGK. APPARATUS FOR MAKING ARTIFICIAL PUEL' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1906.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT oFnroE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

Application filed November 5, 1906. Serial No. 342,071.

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES JOHN S EnLocK,

engineer, a subject of the King of Great Britam, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Making Artificial Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the production of artificial fuel from coal of any suitable description such as small coal or other suitable solid carbonaceous material or refuse coal etc., and is carried into effect by heating the said coal alone or in combination (according to the nature and character of the coal) with any suitable li uid hydro-carbon such as gas tar, astatki, re se petroleum, etc.

In a prior patent dated 8th November 1904 No. 774705 granted to mea process is described for the manufacture of artificial fuel from a mixture of coal or other suitable solid carbonaceous materials and tar or other suitable liquid hydrocarbonaceous materials in suitable proportions by causin the said mixture to descend in a sub-divided condition in a closed'chamber and during such descent subjecting-said mixture in detail-to the action of highly heatedinert aeriform fluid or fluids in such chamber,- va orizing the more volatile constituents ofsai "mixture and carrying off such vapors with the aeriform fluid or fluids and thereby forming producing or developing a pitch-like coating or pitchy deposit on the solid particles of said mixture-so that the latter on subsequent compression while heated will thereby roduce solid fuel blocks; apparatus being a so'described and illustrated in said patent for carrying out said process.

Now the present invention relates to the manufacture of artificial fuel wherein the fuel material is rendered tacky or suflicientl adhesive also'by formingproducing or deve opin a pitch-like coating" or pitchy deposit on the solid particles of said fuel material during the heating and mixing thereof so that on subsequent compression while heated same will thereby produce solid Erhard fuel blocks or briquets.

Apparatus for the manufacture of artificial fuel according to this invention comprising the combination with a gas-tight vessel in which the fuel material is heated to the required degree, of an automatic feeding and measuring device adapted to deliver the fuel material into said gas-tight vessel, a series of hollow shelves or trays superposed and spaced apart in said gas-tight vesselgwith ducts through said hollow shelves throu h which the fuel material may ass from shelf to shelf, means to pass said iue material over the surface of each shelf in turn and then pass it on to the next shelf below, means to apply heat internally to said hollow shelves, means to regulate the amount of such heat, means to withdraw from the space between the hollow 6.5

shelves the volatile constituents evolved from the said fuel material, an automatic delivery device (ada ted to form a seal) to discharge the heated el material from said gas-tight vessel in suchwise as to prevent the entrance of atmospheric air into the as-tight vessel as the fuelmaterial is with awn therefrom, means to deliver said discharged fuel material while in a heated condition into a press, and a suitable press adapted to form said el material into solid blocks of fuelor briquets. y

When the coal-containspnly a minimum quantity of volatile hydro c'arbons it'is nec essary to add a sufficient quantity of the-liquid hydrocarbon, but when the coal is of a sufiiciently bituminous nature-such admixture of liquid hydrocarbon. may not be necessary.

The fuel materials in asuitable sub-divided state (either. combined with a liquid hydrocarbon or in their natural state) are fed into a hopper forming part of an automatic feed ing and measuring device thence they are delivered into a gastight vessel provided with a number of superposed hollow shelves or trays provided with inlet and outlet passages through which hollow shelves heated liqulds or aeriform fluids. such as steam, hot air or ace gases are forced or drawn by means of pumps or exhausters, the speed at which the pum s or exhausters are driven serves to regu ate the quantity of the said heating media passing through the said hollow shelves or trays which in their interior may roo advantageously be provided with baflies so as to insure an equal distribution of heat. Each of these hollow shelves or trays is provided with a passage or passages (forming a communication one to t which the fuel material may pass and in the space between each hollow shelf or tray is arranged one or more radial or other arms supported by a shaft common to the whole of them and which when set in motion will IIo cause the said radial or other arms (which will hereinafter be referred to as the radial e other) through 5 arms to pass over the upper surfaces of the hollow shelves or trays.- i

The fuel materials being fed on to the u per hollow shelf or tray Willi bymeans of t e radial arms be made to pass over its surface until they are brought to the passages in the hollow shelf or tray through which they fall onto the hollow shelf or tray next beneath it,

and so on through the entire series. The fuel materials in thuszbeing successively carried over the heating surfaces of the respective hollow shelves or trays become heated to the degree necessary to give ofl their more volatile constituents'and become so softened that when'withdrawn from the lower the gas-tight vessel and subjectedto-t e necessary amount of compression the said materials produce solid blocks of fuel. By thus heating the fuel material in detail, same is rendered tacky or becomes sufliciently adhesive'to form solid fuel blocks when subjected to pressure while heated. The volatile constituents of the said materials as evolved are withdrawn from the spaces between the hollow shelves or trays through pipes by means of a pump or exhauster and conveyed to a condensin apparatus of any suitable construction or their liquefaction and recovery if required. The hot softened fuel materials as above described are dischar ed from the lower part of the gas-tight vesse by means of a similar automatic device (adapted to form a seal) as used for supply of the fuel materials intothe gas-tight vesselthe object being to prevent the entrance of atmospheric air Into the gas-tight vessel as the fuel? materials are withdrawn therefrom.

The fuel materials prepared as above described may be formed into blocks of solid fuel or briquets by any known or suitable formof compressing machinery.

In order to still further-and more fully explain the nature of this invention the following-description of the apparatusis given with reference to the accompanyin drawings Figure 1 is an elevation and ig. 2 is a plan both partly in section of a complete installation for the manufacture of briquets inaccordance with this invention. Fig. 3; is a vertical sectional view of the closed-Ln vessel Fshowing the interior thereof. Fig. 4 is alfi orizontal cross-sectional view on line XX The-small coal or coal dust mixed with the required quantity of liquid hydro-carbons such astar is'fed into the hopper A whence the elevator B conveys the materialsinto the mixer O which delivers them intothe elevator D for the sup 1y of the fuel apparatus E which accurate ymeasures and regulates the quantity ofsuchmixed fuel materials for delivery into the closed-invessel F1 The said vessel F is rovided with a series of hollow trays or ho low shelves G through which heated" gases-from the furnace H are art of character is closed at'the top and communicates by means of a pipe with the vessel F. The

-T T T; power by means ofthe revolving arms K (carried by the vertical spindle X which is driven by -the gearing and ulleys Y) these arms K serving to push t e fuel material over each tray in turn until said material falls through the slots or apertures L (with which each tray is provided) ontothe tray beneath and" Iso on. nally heated by the furnace: gases passing fthrough heat) it follows that the fuel material in being carriedover'the trays must also become These hollow trays G being interthem (or other suitable source of heated, and as a consequence the lighter volatile constituents of the fuel materials are vaporized, these vapors as soon as released from the fuel materials are withdrawn from theclosed-in vessel F by meansof the-fan or eXhauster M and forced into the condenser N whence the liquefied vapors or oils are removed as required. Thefuel" materials in passin over the" various superposed trays G G contained in the closed-in vessel F) havingparted with their volatile constituentsare then delivered intothe hopper O (whence they-are conveyed to the upper part of the bri netting machine? of any suitable ythe elevator Q.) The hopper 0 treated materia as it falls into the hopper O fills thesame, forminga seal for such vessel. The briquetsas formed in the machine P fall onto the traveling band R for conveyance to any required point; or the fuel mate-- rial may be otherwise suitably pressed or molded into briquet form and removed.

The various machines and apparatus are driven from the shafting S S and pulleys being obtained from the' engine U which also drives the hydraulic pumps V which supply the necessary power to operate the briquet machine P.

What I claimis 1'. In an apparatus for making artificial fuel, the combination of a gas tight vessel 1nwhich the fuel material is heated, an automatic feeding and measuring device deliveringinto said vessel, a series of hollow shelves or trays in said vessel, each provided with a discharge aperture, means for moving the material treated over each shelf, means for heating said shelves internally, and means for regulating the amount of heat applied to said shelves, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for making artificial fuel, the combination of a gas tight vessel in which the material is heated, automatic feedingand measuring devices delivering the by means of the IIO material into said vessel, a series of hollow volatilized products, substantially as detrays each provided with a discharge aperture scribed. I 0 located Within said vessel, means for moving In witness whereof I have hereunto set my the material treated over said shelves, means hand in presence of two Witnesses.

for supplying heated gas to the interior of l JAMES JOHN SHEDLOCK.

said shelves, means for regulating the amount Witnesses: of gas supplied to said shelves, and delivering H. D. JAMEsoN, devices for the material treated and the 1 F. L. RAND. 

